Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus, and a method for an information processing apparatus.
Description of the Related Art
Commonly, when a user executes print processing in a Windows system, the user performs a print instruction after designating a standard port monitor incorporated in the Windows system in advance. In accordance with the standard port monitor, print data that is generated by a printer driver is transmitted to a printing apparatus. However, because the standard port monitor deletes a print job when transmission of the print data to a printing apparatus completes, the only way for a user to know that discharge is complete was to actually confirm the state of the printing apparatus. To avoid the previously described problem, a method in which a custom port monitor is prepared in a print server or the like that manages printing, and the custom port monitor is used to perform necessary processing in the print server is known. For example, by transmitting printer driver generated print data and print job attribute information, such as a document name or a print attributes, from the custom port monitor to the print server, and holding the print data and the print job attribute information on the print server side, it is possible to manage the printing until discharge completion.
However, a system in which only a standard port monitor operates is considered. For example, in the present Microsoft Windows 8, a new architecture for printer drivers has been introduced, and there is an arrangement in which a custom port monitor cannot be registered in the Windows system. In such a system, it is not possible to use a custom port monitor to realize a function such as, on a print server side, saving print related data such as print data, print job attribute information or the like, and print job management until discharge completion. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2007-328558 proposes a method in which print data received by a first port of a printing apparatus is converted to a format that can be handled, and a module that performs the conversion uses a loopback address to transmit the converted data to a second port. However, the method illustrated by Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2007-328558 is a method that can be realized because a transmission source and a transmission destination of the print data are within the same application. For example, generally, in the case of a Windows spooler and a print server, it is not possible for the print server to cause necessary processing to be performed from the print server to the standard port monitor, and cause transmission of print data to the print server.